Promoted up the order to open the innings, Rayudu lived up to MS Dhoni's expectations by scoring an unbeaten 100 off 62 balls which consisted of 7 fours and 7 sixes.

Ambati Rayudu brought up his maiden hundred in the Indian Premier League as Chennai Super Kings produced a comprehensive batting performance to beat SunRisers Hyderabad by eight wickets on Sunday. Rayudu's ton was the fourth of IPL 11 after Shane Watson, Chris Gayle, and Rishabh Pant. Promoted up the order to open the innings, Rayudu lived up to MS Dhoni's expectations by scoring an unbeaten 100 off 62 balls which consisted of 7 fours and 7 sixes. Rayudu, who eclipsed his previous best score of 82 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 25 in Bengaluru, remained unbeaten to guide his side over the finishing line. Rayudu's hundred was his first in T20 cricket and the cash-rich T20 league. Incidentally, it was the 7th by a CSK player and 36th by an opening batsman in the IPL. The 32-year-old Rayudu carried his bat through the innings as he crossed 500 runs this season.

He is on the third spot among top run-getters with 535, behind SunRisers captain Kane Williamson (544) and Kings XI Punjab's Lokesh Rahul (537). With the win, the two-time IPL champions sit pretty with 16 points from 12 games. While they are technically in a comfortable zone, another win will confirm their place in the last four. CSK also snapped SunRisers' six-match winning streak this season.

Rayudu stitched a 134-run stand with Shane Watson (57) for the opening wicket to lay the foundation of the comprehensive win. Watson, also one of the centurions of this IPL, hit five fours and three sixes during his 35-ball knock.

Dhoni remained not out on 20 from 14 balls as CSK reached 180 for 2 from 19 overs.

Earlier, opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and captain Kane Williamson continued their top form this season as the two batsmen struck fluent half-centuries to take Sunrisers to 179 for 4 after being sent in to bat.

Dhawan and Williamson continued from what they had left in their last match in Delhi as the duo yet again scored the bulk of Sunrisers runs with a 123-run stand for the second wicket.